Col de la Bonette

Cime de la Bonette, viewed from the northern ascent from Jausiers. The Col de la Bonette is marked by the gap in the centre of the picture, while the circle road takes a loop up and around the Cime de la Bonette, before joining the col behind the ridge.

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The passage over the Col de la Bonette is often mistakenly referred to as the Col de Restefond, and in the 2008 Tour de France the summit was referred to as the Cime de la Bonette-Restefond. Stage 16 of the tour approached the summit from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (south-east), and after reaching the Col de la Bonette, took a loop round the Cime de la Bonette reaching the summit of 2,802 m (9,193 ft), which is the highest point reached by the Tour de France,[1] before re-passing the Col de la Bonette. On the descent to Jausiers, the actual Col de Restefond was then passed on the right approximately 1 km from the summit.

A signpost at the foot of the climb[2] makes the claim "Col de la Bonette - Restefond, 2802 m above sea level, highest road in Europe". This claim is incorrect for various reasons. The actual Col de la Bonette rises to 2,715 m (8,907 ft), but there are three Alpine road passes whose altitudes are higher: Col de l'Iseran (2,770 m (9,090 ft)), Stelvio Pass (2,757 m (9,045 ft)) and Col Agnel (2,744 m (9,003 ft)). There is also the road to Veleta (Sierra Nevada), Spain (near Granada) which reaches 3,392 m (11,129 ft)[3] but it is not a through road.

The road around the Cime de la Bonette reaches an altitude of 2,802 m (9,193 ft), but this is not a "pass", but merely a scenic loop. It is, however, the highest asphalted road in France and is the highest through road in Europe.

The road from Jausiers passes next to the Casernes de Restefond, an old military building

From the south, the climb starts at Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée and is 26 km (16 mi) long. Over this distance, the climb is 1,652 m (5,420 ft) (an average percentage of 6.4%). On the climb to the actual Col de la Bonette, there is one short section at over 10%, but on the loop around the Cime de la Bonette, the gradient reaches 15%.[4]

From the north, the climb starts at Jausiers and is 24.1 km (15.0 mi) long. Over this distance, the climb is 1,589 m (5,213 ft) (an average percentage of 6.6%), with the steepest sections at 9%.[5]

On both sides mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the current height, the distance from the start, the distance to the summit, the average slope in the following kilometre, the number of the street, as well as the distances to villages and cities connected by the pass. They provide information for cyclists going up- and downhill.